Chris and I have recently had the pleasure of helping a few more “distinguished” men, piece together outfits for some special occasions, ranging from weddings and engagement parties to race days and even a school reunion. This got us thinking, are we really selling tie sets? Or are we in fact selling something more?

So we set about getting in contact with a few of these customers to find out why they came to us for advice and what it felt like to wear something they would normally walk past in the shopping centre.

What we found was both surprising and uplifting, leaving us both with huge smiles and the warm fuzzies we all like to feel.

The collective response from these men was that wearing these items brought them a lot of compliments, a lot of wows and in one case even some tears of joy from a very happy daughter on her big day.

Eric was so pleased with his first set he came back for a second time. This time he even managed to win fashions on the field!

One of our favourite stories was from Eric, who purchased one of our original tie set's for a school reunion at a country race day. He was so pleased with the reaction that he came back for a second and this time entered fashions on the field, of which he won! Not bad for a bloke who normally wear stubbies and a polo.

We were also fortunate enough to speak to one customer, who wore one of our sets to his daughters wedding. We won't give too much away because this is a whole post unto itself, but let's just say there were many tears of joy as a result. More on this to come!

Because of these reactions Chris and I are going on a mission. We plan to find the jeans and shirt guys and help them transform for special occasions. Bringing them confidence and their loved ones joy. So, if you know someone with an event coming up who could use a little help, we want to hear from you.

Twenty years ago the idea of presenting a gift to your groomsmen, father and father of the bride on your special day was unheralded, in fact, the majority of blokes would have scoffed at the notion.

The last ten or so years however, has seen a large shift in men's attitudes. So much so, that it is now almost expected of the groom to purchase something for those closest to him and of course the brides fathers as a kind of, 'sorry i'm sleeping with your daughter' gesture.

But why is it so important to give someone a gift on YOUR day and what is appropriate? We men certainly don't put a lot of thought into this kind of thing growing up and it isn't until we've been told by a certain someone (probably your mother/mother-in-law-to-be) that we have any idea what is expected of us on the big day.

Here are some thoughts on how to avoid a gigantic c*ck up on your special day.

If you are going to buy a present for your groomsmen and fathers, why not make it something they are going to use? We've all been handed our fair share of flasks, but let's face it, as soon as everyone goes home, it's getting tossed in the bottom of a box, buried deep in the back of your shed. It is really only useful for the wedding photos to add a bit of blokeyness. But we can do better than that.

If you are going to purchase your grooms outfits, which is more likely than not the case, why not present them the remaining attire in a gift box? Perhaps with a little note (if you are so inclined) and a cigar inside? It still adds a certain charm to the whole day and maintains a certain blokey aspect and you don't have to worry about spending additional money on those money sucking leeches. All the more money for the bar, ahem.... your back pocket.

Then you and the boys can sit back and suck on those big, fat cigars to freshen your breathe before the most important kiss of your life. Sounds pretty damn great to me.

So, if you know a bloke who has popped the question, maybe you should do him a favour and have him read this blog. It might just help him make the right decision before the big day.

It’s no secret, buying a present that your man genuinely loves is no easy task. He might tell you he loves that new shirt you bought him and although he actually does look great in it, you know he isn’t excited by it.

Men are a tough bunch, we tell you that they don’t mind what you get them, or even that you shouldn’t buy us a present. But when it comes to the crunch, we are secretly hoping you will get us something we love. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to have the ability to communicate what that may be to members of the opposite sex, or anyone really, in fact, it’s entirely possible we have no idea ourselves.

The question playing on every girlfriend, mother and wife’s mind is, what can I get him that he will use more than once and actually enjoy?

Well ladies, fear not, as someone with plenty of experience on life as a male, I am here to answer all of your questions. Or at least, I think I am…

Us males are a practical bunch, you’ve probably noticed that around dates like Christmas and birthdays, the men in the family seem to come up with extremely obscure gifts that any normal person would think insane. I will use my father as an example, he bought my girlfriend an electric razor for Christmas. Now, if you’re a male, you’re probably thinking, that’s a great gift, if you’re a female however, that probably says something like….did he think she was too hairy? What is his angle here? I can't believe he would do such a thing!

For the record, the answer is no, he did not, nor was there any angle at play. He simply saw something which simplified things and handed over the money. You see, this is about as deep as the male brain goes without overheating. A blessing and a curse.

Now, at this point, you’re probably all having a bit of a giggle, but does this really help you in solving the mystery? Probably not, but I do hope it has given you some quality insight into how our minds work, or at least, get by.

Let me reroute your brain for a minute to think like a man. His issues are all down to practicality and mechanical actions. There is something broken, it needs to be fixed. The grass is long, it needs trimming. The beer is warm, it needs to cool down. My girlfriend is mad, I'll just go to the shed.

It’s fairly simple right? The most important thing to do when buying your man a gift is to keep things as simple and practical as possible. If he needs to think about the meaning or thoughtfulness of your gift, he will most likely just nod and smile before putting it in the back of the closet. If it is easy to use and he can see the benefit straight away, you’ve got yourself a winner.

You might now be wandering how this all ties in to our set's (see what i did there). Well our tie sets are a little different. They allow a man not to think. That’s the key remember. If your man wears a tie to work, or you have an event coming up where he needs to look his best, then a tie set which doesn’t require thinking is ideal. You see, every item in our set is matched to work perfectly with the other items. We will even tell him what colour suit to wear. So all you need to do is choose him a box you love and all he needs to do is tie it. Which he should have covered.

So if you’re struggling to find your man the “perfect” (most practical, simple) gift, then look no further. Because if it’s easy, it’s good.

On the eve of our first birthday, Chris and I sit back and reflect on the whirl wind that was.

As many are aware, we began this journey as two individuals with very little business experience, but plenty of blind faith and optimism. We always new our business was addressing a hole in the menswear sector that was waiting to be filled, but we had no idea just how many hurdles we would need to overcome to do so, many of which we still face today!

What began as a subscription business, offering men, just like Chris and myself, a way to purchase a good quality tie set without having to worry about the monotonous task of pairing items, has turned into a simple store, addressing the same issue, but offering individual sales.

Not many men enjoy (or have any clue what they are doing) shopping for suiting accessories. More to the point, none of us overly enjoy trolling through the thousands of options to figure out what matches best and doesn't cost an absolute fortune. After all, shopping is hardly a past time enjoyed by the typical Aussie bloke, we like beers and footy!

Chris and I spent many days pondering how best to tackle this problem and many more months tinkering with the final product. We've put ourselves through many tough (and often expensive) lessons grappling the world of ecommerce. Given ourselves many-a-crash courses in Facebook and Google advertising. Made a myriad of wholesale contacts around Australia and the world and even taken a trip to the south of China (which involved a lot of banquets and beer, they clearly did their research on Australians). We've formed partnerships with existing businesses in Australia. Attended more events than we can count and formed partnerships with bloggers and influencers the world over. We've even hired our first employee Alex to assist as a wedding consultant!

There is little doubt our entrance into the realm of ecommerce was an absolute blast and has taught us a huge amount of lessons, in an extremely short period of time.

We have both been overwhelmed with the amount of support and encouragement we have received along the way and thank each and every one of you. A special mention goes out to our girlfriends, Kate and Sophia and both set's of parents, who have shown us nothing but support and helped wherever they can.

As we look to the coming year, we have a whole new perspective on what it means to run an online business, along with a new respect for what is involved.

The challenges we have faced have been many, but the results are appearing and the general reaction to our product is amazement. Chris and I have little doubt that what we have created is an absolutely top level product, now we need to show Australia and the world. The Tie Collective is here to stay!

We are both very much looking forward to many more late nights and hard learnt lessons. Because this is, after all, the most exciting part, overcoming hurdles and facing new challenges every day, this is the journey Chris and I both love.

Setting You Up – Talking with Co-Founder of the Tie Collective

You want to dress up for an event, you have your suit, shirt, and shoes, but what about the rest? Two dapper gents out of Sydney have set out to help alleviate both the emotional and fiduciary hassle of buying suit accessories.

The Tie Collective has got you covered. With their tie box sets, you get all the accessories you need, perfectly matched together so you do not have to worry about anything but flaunting your dapper wear. We recently spoke to Co-Founder Adam Daniels about the story and the process behind The Tie Collective.

The Tie Collective was birthed out of the plight of the everyday gent, trying to find and purchase suiting accessories. Their aim is to give the everyday gent a rotation of fashionable accessories without having to worry about the costs or the issue of what matches.

Another issue that many gents face is the need for quality accessories, as a cheap tie can make even a nice suit look drab, when it should be elevating your attire.

Co-founders, Adam and Chris, met each other from their days in the Royal Australian Navy. After six years in the navy, I was curious how the skills learnt there transferred into the business world and ultimately, the running of The Tie Collective.

“I believe it [the navy] has taught us a lot of valuable lessons, one of which has influenced greatly our reasons for creating The Tie Collective” Adam tells me, “this was grooming. Especially whilst working at sea, we were still required to have impeccable grooming and this had to be achieved often with very little time."

"Often there would be horrendous conditions, moving ships and razor blades don’t go hand in hand. So we were forced to become very efficient at maintaining very high standards. We noticed this hadn’t been achieved for basic menswear when we came ashore, hence the birth of The Tie Collective; simple, straight-forward products with exceptional quality.”

The thought alone of shaving daily daunts most dapper gents, yet to do so whilst on the high seas is a remarkable feat. As Adam said, The Tie Collective is all focused around providing men with “simple, straight-forward products of exceptional quality.” Yet as many know, quality often is not as easily made and it is often hard to show the world your quality product as Adam explains,

“The major hurdle we have is convincing people that our products are of a high quality. It’s not enough to just tell someone that we have sourced high-quality products; we need to show them, which can often be difficult when you are based online. However, we are slowly getting products into physical locations and the general reaction from people is ‘wow’. As we build this physical presences and grow brand awareness, this is an issue we are overcoming.”

Like everything in life, starting a business is about taking that first step forward. Most businesses never leave the dreams of their creators. As Adam tells me, “we spent a lot of time researching how to do things in the beginning without just taking the plunge and trying them.”

And this is often what separates innovators from the rest, rather than finding the right answer, look ahead, take a step in the right direction and find the answers along the way. As a seasoned entrepreneur Adam says that he is “much more likely to dive headfirst and learn by doing, it saves a lot of time and money.” Good advice for anyone looking to create something.

Later I questioned Adam on his thoughts of suit accessorising. He tells me that you should dress for your occasion and for your mood. For example if you are a loud person wear bright colours, try a reverse puff fold for your pocket square; if you are more conservative find comfort in darker tones, and wear your pocket square in a sophisticated triangle fold.

Adam’s go-to attire is a suit, tie, tie clip, and pocket square, but if going to an event he will implement some more features like a lapel pin. Therefore in Adam’s opinion, for day to day wear, you don't have to flaunt every possible suiting accessory, just go with what the event and the mood dictates, although it is good to have all the options so you can pick and chose.

Adam tells me that there is one accessory you should never go without, given you are wearing a tie – a tie clip. While it does not need to stand out or be an attention piece, the tie clip offers great practicability, “if it’s windy, it stops it flapping around; if you’re bending over food and drink, it stops it falling in and getting stained.”

Stephen Kay, at just 18 he is already touted as Australia's next big menswear fashion influencer and for good reason. Not only does he have an impeccable eye for detail, can piece together a suit better than most middle aged men and write a mean blog article, but he is also a genuinely nice guy. Brands are flocking to him and middle aged men are turning to him for style guidance and advice.

As men, we watch our fashion taste and understanding evolve as we grow older. A greater understanding of what dress standard is acceptable at certain events is something which comes with age and not something drummed into us as children.

This gradual understanding leads us from having one outfit for all events to an outfit for each event. Unfortunately, for most men, the process of actually going to a store and trying on each of these items and figuring out what works with what is not always considered fun. In fact, for the vast majority of males, this process is a considerable bugbear. We would much rather not waste time piecing together outfits for certain events. Although we understand the necessity, it does not make the task any less tedious.

Caption: Ladies day at the races? This will get you some brownie points.

So what is the answer?

It’s fairly simple really, you purchase a set of accessories which can be used in multiple combinations for multiple occasions. A set which includes a tie, pocket square, lapel pin, cufflinks and tie bar.

You may not wear all of these items all the time, but the combinations are endless (120 if my grade 8 maths serves correctly). Going to wedding? Wear the lot. Attending a business meeting? The tie and tie bar will do. Heading out to a dinner date after work? Shed the tie and just wear the pocket square.

Caption: How many combinations can you make out?

The combinations go on for almost every occasion and by having two or three boxes in your wardrobe you can increase these combinations even further. The best part about these boxes is that you know they work together. Each box has been individually curated and works in any combination. There is combinations for those who like to stand out and for those who like to blend in. How you wear it, that’s up to you. Pick and choose items based on the event, choosing what to wear is easier than you think if everything is already matched for you.

Accessories are just as important for you as the well groomed groom as the tux itself. You need pieces that are stylish and ties your classic style together. Your groomsmen and other important men of the day, like your father and the father of the bride, all need the same. Enter The Tie Collective, a company based in Australia offering classic, stylish accessories for the modern gentleman via gift boxes and subscription services. They believe in presenting your wedding party with accessories in such a way that they can double as a stylish gift – an idea we’re rather fond of ourselves!

Each gift box contains a tie, pocket square, lapel pin, cufflinks and a tie bar. Pre-designed gift boxes like the Pierce Gift Box and Dalton Gift Box are available for $99, but if you have a certain aesthetic in mind, you’re able to contact The Tie Collective directly to create a custom gift box set for yourself and your groomsmen.